Language Sensei

A Language Teacher's Journey

What I Really “Teach”: Literacy, Communication and Self-Reliance

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I have had the privilege of working with a student teacher for the first time in my 18 years of teaching. It has been a great journey working with a ‘new’ professional. Today as I sat  in his ‘final’ conference we were talking about what would make his resume stand out in future hiring. My goal with him was not to have him talk about his MFL – Japanese teaching experience but to drill down and look at what he really does in the classroom. What do we do as MFL teachers?

Literacy – I do it every day. We guide and teach kids to decode, guess and work out meanings of texts that are not familiar to them. We teach them to infer and guess when encountering text in authentic documents. We also lead them to understand how a language works. We introduce and reinforce vocabulary – making it meaningful for them. Often we encourage them to gain the vocabulary that they need to function in class. Yes – I am a Literacy teacher.

Interpersonal Communication skills – We assist our students in developing interpersonal communication skills. Students learn to clarify, to explain, to ensure that a meaning is correct. Through authentic activities the become more skilled at working in a group or with a partner. They also develop an appreciation for the cultural realities that influence communication. Being aware of the do’s and don’ts in a foreign language makes students more aware of those that exist in their own first language (and if it’s not – for English as well). Yes I am a Communication Facilitator.

Self-reliance – I don’t stand and deliver a language. That’s not how the modern MFL class works. Instead I may draw upon methods such as TPRS, PBL or even (yes) Flipped learning – where the student and their choices/interests drive the learning. My MFL students learn to acquire what they need – in a personal way – in order to accomplish the task at hand. They also learn to ask for assistance and draw on resources when they need support. It’s important as well that they see how I acquire more language – that I’m not a dictionary but a learner/student of the language as well.  Yes – I model and develop Self-Reliant Learners.

I haven’t even mentioned “Life-Long Learning” as I work to incorporate more ed-tech. So when someone says to me – “Oh you teach a second language”…I now have a new way to respond “Well actually….”

Colleen

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